INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOW TO APPLY SCHOOLS FOR ABHES INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITATION

Thank you for your interest in seeking institutional accreditation by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). ABHES is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as an accreditor of private, postsecondary institutions in the United States offering predominantly allied health education programs leading to a certificate, diploma, Associate of Applied Science, Associate of Occupational Science, Academic Associate degree and/or Baccalaureate degree including those offered via distance education. Please see Chapter II, Section A, Subsection I, on Basic Eligibility from the ABHES Accreditation Manual. If, after review of these requirements, you feel that your institution meets the criteria and is ready to apply for accreditation, please complete the Institutional Application for Accreditation and submit it along with the following required documents:

5) Copy of the State approval letter(s) where the institution operates, which must include the name of each program and its approved program length. (NOTE: Applications will be returned in cases where the program name(s) and/or lengths differ from that which is approved by the State).

APPLICATION SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

APPLICANTS should submit a completed application packet via e-mail to applications@abhes.org. This may require documents to be professionally scanned as a JPG, TIF, Microsoft-Compatible, or ADOBE PDF to ensure that all information is legible and organized for ease of an electronic review. All documents must include the required original signatures where applicable.

An application packet may also be submitted on CD Rom or USB drive(mailed to the address below). When saving required documents, a separate document should be made and appropriately labeled and formatted as described above.

Each attachment/file should be named according to its content (e.g., “Application”, “Ownership Disclosure Form”, “Catalog”, "Reviewed Financial Statement", etc.).

It is imperative that the mailed application submission is properly labeled with the (1) institution’s name, (2) city/state, (3) Entitled “APPLICATION FOR ACCREDITATION”, and (4) the Date of submission.

The only hardcopy document required if submitting electronically is a cover letter of intent and the application payment in the form of a check made payable to ABHES and mailed to the address below. A separate fee applies to each campus location for which you are seeking accreditation.

ABHES
7777 Leesburg Pike, Suite 314N
Falls Church, Virginia 22043

After the required information has been reviewed, your institution will be informed of its status and visitation requirements. Should your institution appear to meet the ABHES eligibility requirements, a Self-evaluation Report (SER) will be provided via e-mail for completion.

The institution will be required to submit an audited financial statement with submission of its final SER. A grant of accreditation will be contingent upon receipt, review and approval of the audited statements. The audited financial statement must contain the elements included on the Audited Financial Review Sheet.

In addition, initial applicants are also required to attend an Accreditation Workshop within 12 months of submission of the SER. The individual(s) designated to attend the workshop should be directly involved in the accreditation and self-evaluation process (e.g., school director, director of education, etc.). See the Workshop Registration for dates and times of upcoming workshops and to register online.

Institutional applicants are also required to undergo a staff-only preliminary visit (see Chapter II, Section A, Subsection 1 of the Accreditation Manual), following attendance at the Accreditation Workshop, and after submitting the draft SER. The preliminary visit is conducted as a means of ensuring that the institution complies with all eligibility criteria and is in substantial compliance with ABHES standards. It is also a time for the institution to address any questions or concerns with staff in a consultative manner.